"Are you criticizing my strategy as overly conservative?" Faced with Hathor's sharp questions and enumeration of pros and cons, Alex's voice remained unusually calm, showing no anger despite the severe accusations.
He knew the truth of the doomsday scenarios Hathor described, and the suffocating snippets of prophecy, better than anyone.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to take responsibility; rather, he deeply felt that his own power was still insufficient, that he was simply not up to the task.
From being an ordinary Governor who could initially only manage a single planet, to now barely maintaining the operation of a Sub-Sector with great effort, this was already the limit of his capabilities.
For him to shoulder the heavy burden of protecting the entire Imperium? Such a responsibility, even the Gene-Seed Primarch Guilliman, who had awakened from long slumber, had felt utter despair and prematurely grayed over it.
And how could he, a mere mortal Administrative Governor, dare to lightly accept such an unimaginably heavy burden?
"Perhaps 'conservative' isn't entirely accurate. Your previous choice was a more stable path to survival, prioritizing the defense of the foundation to protect yourself in the face of overwhelming waves. This is a natural and understandable reaction for mortals in a disaster." Hathor did not harshly criticize Alex here.
But then, her words, like a sharp sword, went straight to the core: "However, now, the power you command is far from what it once was! Unfortunately, it is your own excessive caution that has obscured your assessment of your own strength.
Please calmly evaluate the power you possess: millions of Astra Militarum soldiers, tens of millions of fully equipped auxiliary troops, and thousands of Astartes Monks, enough to move any Chapter Master.
Such a scale of military force already far exceeds the limitations of the Holy Codex, and its sheer size is even comparable to a small Expeditionary Force.
Not to mention your strategic alliance network, closely linked with numerous Space Marine Chapters, and the strategic-level armaments that are about to enter mass production—such as the Saturn Terminator Power Armor, which embodies ancient glory and destructive power.
Alex, please recognize the reality: the power base you control at this moment, even in the context of the Great Crusade Era of stellar conquest, is enough for me, or any of my brothers, to form a main Expeditionary Force around it and commit unreservedly to the great cause of expanding territory.
In fact, the total power that many brothers' legions could mobilize when they first returned to the Emperor's command might not even exceed the scale you possess today."
"You… you expect me to step forward now and shoulder all of this?" Alex's voice was uncharacteristically tinged with a hint of confusion, and deeply hidden within it was an indescribable, heavy fear.
In his heart, he understood where the obvious answer pointed.
However, the mere words "step forward" carried an unimaginably suffocating, immense burden—a supreme responsibility that could exhaust even a Gene-Seed Primarch with immortal power and cause him to prematurely gray over long periods of time.
Could he, a Governor whose essence was still bound to a mortal body, truly bear such a weight?
"No one is born knowing how to bear the mission of an entire civilization's survival. Even the Gene-Seed Primarchs, standing at the pinnacle of the starry sea, had their wisdom and responsibility forged and tempered only in the endless crucible of war and under the immense pressure of responsibility." Hathor's tone added a touch of comforting warmth, but her core belief was as unyielding as an ancient rock. "Moreover, you are not facing this dark void alone.
Have you not realized that what you wield is a supreme authority, a power capable of commanding 'us' to step into this torrent of destiny alongside you?
At this moment, I stand by your side, and in the future, many more brothers will answer your call and be with you, sharing this fate that belongs to all humanity.
Could it be… that what you fear is one day following in 'his' footsteps? Are you worried that you too will be confined to that eternal, brilliant, yet cold Golden Throne?"
"'Following in his footsteps'?" The moment this possibility was clearly revealed, Alex almost instinctively shook his head violently, a complex smile, a mix of bitterness and absolute rejection, tugging at the corners of his mouth: "To become that eternal guardian? To be bound in brilliant yet dead silence, transforming into a cold symbol that sustains the galaxy? No, Hathor! This so-called 'supreme glory,' I absolutely refuse to accept!"
Alex might be willing to turn the tide in times of crisis, but if he were to become the Emperor? That thought was utterly unacceptable!
Neither transforming into a near-emotionless existence like the Emperor nor being eternally confined to the Golden Throne and becoming an immortal symbol was the end he desired.
If I save humanity, must I still endure such torment? I am not so sinful as to deserve this.
Hathor, standing by, was touched by Alex's fierce resistance and showed a hint of helpless, faint smile: "You misunderstand my meaning! I meant that, in the future, you have the potential to become a leader.
A leader capable of rivaling my brothers, or even… my father, guiding humanity through the darkness and despair of its fate.
When the Great Rift tears open the veil of the future, pouring darkness down, humanity will need a pioneer, a guide who can ignite the fire of hope in boundless chaos and illuminate the path forward."
"Let me… think about it again." Alex's response still carried hesitation.
To become the guide of human civilization? These words indeed contained epic grandeur and heavy responsibility.
However, the last Emperor who wielded this authority to lead humanity forward—is now eternally bound to the Golden Throne, transformed into a magnificent living corpse.
And his successor, Guilliman, even with the power of a Gene-Seed Primarch, facing the Imperium's decaying and collapsing structure, also grayed under the immense pressure of endless affairs, sighing heavily.
Alex had no intention of sacrificing himself on such a cruel altar.
Hathor said nothing more.
She knew that some maxims needed no elaboration.
When the tide of destiny surges, no one can truly stand outside the current of the era.
And some people are destined to be pushed to the forefront of history by that invisible giant wave, to shoulder that unavoidable mission—regardless of whether they are willing in their hearts.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore!" Alex seemed disturbed by the heavy topic, reaching out to brush aside the documents and data pads in front of him, then stood up and said to Hathor: "Thanks to you, recent official duties have been much smoother, and the secretariat's efficiency has greatly improved, giving me some rare free time this afternoon.
Perfect, come with me to inspect the Ash Knights Chapter's new recruit training!"
His gaze shifted slightly, carrying a hint of inquiry: "I also want to see with my own eyes how a Primarch instructs new recruits."
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